Family:William Rea and Jane Mason (1)

William Rea, the grandfather of J. V. Rea, was a farmer. He was born in Lower Mount Bethel township, Northampton Co., Penn., September 13, 1762, and was married to Jane Mason January 24, 1788; crossed the Alleghany mountains to Washington county, Penn., in 1789; lived and taught school one winter one and one-half miles west of the town of Hickory, in Mount Pleasant township; in March, 1790, he purchased a tract of land in the adjoining township of Cross Creek, from George Marquis, situated about half way between Cross Creek village and West Middletown, being part of a patent entered by Col. James Marshall. He was appointed and sent as one of a committee of three by the Whisky Insurrectionists in 1794, to meet the United States army at Braddock's fields, sent for the subjection of the Insurrectionists. He was appointed by the governor of Pennsylvania in 1823, a justice of the peace for the townships of Cross Creek, Hopewell and Mount Pleasant. He died September 28, 1835, aged seventy-four years, and was buried in the Presbyterian graveyard at Cross Creek. The following named children were born to his marriage with Jane Mason: Annie, intermarried with David Campbell; William Mason, Sr., with Elizabeth Campbell; Elizabeth, with George Campbell; Sarah, with Rev. Joseph Vincent; Rhoda, with Robert Allison; Isabella, with William Beatty; Jane, with Joseph McNary; Samuel, died in 1821, aged twenty-one years; John, died in 1822, aged twenty-years; Mary, died in 1806, when sixteen months old; Jane Mason, the mother, died September 18, 1854, aged ninety years. William Mason Rea, Sr., was born March 16, 1790, in Cross Creek township, on the farm on which he lived and died. His death took place June 27, 1865. He married Elizabeth Campbell December 26, 1811, and to them were born the following children: John C., born March 19, 1813, intermarried with Mary Ann Lyle October 16, 1835; William, born December 19, 1815, unmarried; Joseph V., born June 22, 1818, married Eliza Ann McElroy November 26, 1840; Jane, born June 4, 1832, intermarried with Cyrus Wells, December 22, 1842; Elizabeth, April 19, 1828, married William T. Kerr June 27, 1849; C. C. Rea, born April 28, 1834, married Catherine Cook, November 27, 1856; Mary, born February 21, 1821, died October 21, 1821, and Samuel, born April 1, 1830, died February 1, 1839. William Rea died December 7, 1884; Elizabeth died December 5, 1883; Jane died September 26, 1853; John C. died September 24, 1882. William Mason Rea, Sr., died June 27, 1865, his wife, Elizabeth on August 21, 1868.